There are so many glaring environmental issues faced by India today, it’s probably hard to single out just one as being the most serious or life-threatening. Starting from the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the water we drink or the food we consume; there’s really no telling the start and end point of pollution hazards.

There has been active progress and addressable by NGO’s and governing bodies in order to improve the environmental mess, in fact it is thought that India has made the speediest progress in the world in addressing this concern. However there still remains a lot to be done and environmental issues pose serious health risks for mankind and livestock in India.

Pollution of Water

Estimates suggest that the average annual per capita water availability in India has declined by almost 70% over the last decade or so. Irregular monsoons and inadequate recharging of groundwater tables have led to many a problem. There is heavy dependence on the groundwater source as nearly 80-90% of drinking water in villages and 50-60% of water supply for urban areas is derived from it.

The existing groundwater resources are being subjugated and there’s insufficient or complete absence of access to fresh water resources. Existing lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers are subject to discharge of untreated sewage thereby creating a bigger issue of polluting the surface and ground water.

Sewage treatment plants that are present are not always functioning properly or in dire need for maintenance. Sewage or domestic waste water is pumped back into fresh water bodies and the vicious circle is further aggravated. Effluents leach into soil, rendering it polluted.

Industrial, chemical and agricultural waste water are the largest water pollutants. As industries increase, the consumption of water will also increase proportionally whereas the challenge of dealing with waste water remains intact. Recent reports suggest that over a hundred cities dump untreated sewage into the Ganga (Ganges River). The Ganga being one such case in point, it is common to find that across India industrial and human waste that is directly released in the water (which may later be used for human consumption). Washing of vehicles, clothes and animals is a common sight around rivers and ponds. The ecosystem around a polluted water body gets equally disturbed as does mankind.

In the air

Cited as one of the leading causes for premature deaths in India, air pollution levels have gained alarming proportions in recent times. World over, the deaths caused due to air pollution have increased fourfold in the last ten years or so. India and China are the two countries that top the charts for this pollution. WHO has ranked outdoor air pollution as being the 5th reason for mortality in India, contributing to over 6, 27,000 deaths.

These are not small numbers by any measure and it comes at a time when India is already grappling with the pressures of a burgeoning population. Current reports suggest that while on one hand the automobile sector is seeing tremendous growth in the country and on- road automobiles have increased by almost seven-fold, there are massive emission problems and causes for increased global warming attributed to it.

While vehicles cause enough air pollution, one cannot ignore the factories and industries that emit poisonous gases in the air. Rural household’s dependence on burning of fuel wood and biomass further contributes to a harmful air pollutant mix.

Garbage and Solid Waste disposal

The population in India is already exploding and if the numbers are anything to go by, there’s plenty more to come. Naturally, there is a huge amount of pressure on natural resources and it is no secret that a large part of the country’s population continues to live in abject poverty. However, the massive population has created another issue, that of waste generation.

Landfills are overflowing and it is common to see mountain sized piles of filth. In fact, nearly 50, 00, 00 people reside near these landfills in prime metros of India. What’s more, the waste generation in India is set to increase five times by the year 2047. Soon, India will be the largest producer of garbage and most probably the biggest refuse heap in the world.

Conclusion

While it may seem like a sorry state of affairs on the whole, there are many green initiatives being undertaken by the government to tackle these issues in a unique and non-toxic way. Perhaps the need of the hour is a far more aggressive environment conservation unanimity from every citizen.

Home to people from different ethnicities and religions, Chennai is considered a melting pot of many cultures and one can find a plethora of temples, churches and mosques that bear a mark of Chennai’s rich heritage. Architecture belonging to the colonial times can be found in the port area as well as in other places in Chennai such as the St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George or the Pachaiyappa’s Hall which is based on the Athenium Temple of Theseus. Mahabalipuram- a neighbouring town of Chennai has ancient temples and rock carvings dating back to the 7th century Pallava kingdom.

Where it stands today

Chennai has a booming tourism industry with an influx of visiting foreign tourists and holds the merit of being one of the most visited cities in India. In fact, Lonely planet has listed Chennai in the top 10 cities to travel to for the year 2015.

The honour bestowed on the city seems totally justified as there has been ground-breaking development in terms of infrastructure and governance. Today the city is taking bolder and bigger steps towards urbanisation and it is truly heartening to see that the skyline is a beautiful convergence of the old with the new and that there’s even-handed balance of modernization and history.

Chennai- The preferred city

Recently ranked 9th in the list of the world’s best cosmopolitan cities, Chennai’s prospects are primed to go a few notches higher. The government authorities are pulling out all the stops to make the growth story bigger and better than ever before. Infrastructure is being given a big boost by introducing progressive services such as the monorail project, added incentives for promotion of industrial growth and the ambitious construction of flyovers in strategic places.

The city is being recognized for its invaluable worth and has featured in the news of late on account of the overall excellence in the standard of living of its citizens. Based on the “Location Ranking Survey” conducted by ECA International, Chennai was rated as having the highest quality of life among other cities in India. It pips ahead of the other three metros and Bangalore. What’s more, Chennai received the second highest rating in India in a worldwide quality of life survey conducted by Mercer in 2007 (New Delhi scored the highest).

The accolades just keep pouring in

Chennai boasts of being a leading commercial and industrial centre besides being home to all major educational, literary and economic centers. The city has long held on to the distinction of being referred to as ‘The Detroit of Asia’ for it’s proliferate automobile industry. The IT/ITES parks are home to some of the most renowned multinational companies of the world.

What’s more, the city boasts of a high number of expats with Chennai having the highest population just after Mumbai and Delhi. With the onslaught of a high number of people from world over, Chennai made way for yet another accolade- the 41st ranking of Chennai in the global top 100 city destinations in the year 2011. Nearly 3,174,500 tourists visited the cultural and heritage sites of Chennai and the nearby towns, contributing more than Rs 20,000 crore to the state economy. In comparison, domestic tourism brought in around Rs 5,500 crore.

The city boasts of a sound, state-of-the-art healthcare system and medical tourists from across the world come to Chennai for their treatments. In fact, medical tourism continues to remain a high grosser with this form of tourism outperforming every other.

Chennai has much variety on offer and it is a matter of pride that the city was placed 2nd, featuring as the best food city in the world by none other than National Geographic (Chennai was the only city from across India to feature in the list). Furthermore, the city features in the “52 places to go around the world” by The New York Times. In 2014’s annual Indian city survey, India Today ranked Chennai as the best city in India.

Through the looking glass

Chennai is the secondary financial hub in the country, after Mumbai and with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $69 billion Chennai is a pivotal financial and commercial hub. It ranks fifth in terms of overall GDP contribution in India. Combined with a strong industrial and IT populace, Chennai is the 31st-largest urban area in the world. Considered as the sixth-largest city in India and the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the country, Chennai is poised to reach beyond the stars.

Selaiyur is a suburb located in close proximity to Tambaram, a booming in Chennai. Positioned on the Tambaram – Velachery Road, Selaiyur has developed mainly because of its closeness to Tambaram. However, long before this place was known for its IT industries or its popular mix of cosmopolitan residents, Selaiyur had found its mention in history. In fact, today there still stands a testimony to its historical roots- The Selaiyur Temple Tank.

As per records, the tank belonged to the nearby Perumal temple and was constructed some 400 years ago by Chola king Thribhuvana Chakravarthy Vijaykanda Gopalan. Today, this tank is appreciated for its heritage and is a popular spot frequented by families and historians alike.

A fertile land that is reaping profits

Positioned at the South West of Chennai, Selaiyur is in close proximity to the IT corridors in the OMR, where many large MNC offices are located. The Tambaram / Camp Road as well as the other neighbouring towns such as Madambakkam, Rajakilpakkam, Sembakkam, Chitlapakkam and Medavakkam are nearby. The chief leverage of this locality is that any which way you travel, you are not too far from significant locations. Nonetheless, the growth and development of Selaiyur can be credited solely to the massive expansion of Tambaram. One can find that the success of real estate in Tambaram has created a favourable demand for residential apartments in Selaiyur too.

Today, Selaiyur is up-and-coming and one can find the area dotted with an estimated 40 new under-construction projects and ready possession residential apartments that serve every budget. There has been a healthy absorption of the apartments as builders have kept the prices reasonable and within the reach of all. The aim is to fulfil the requirement for inexpensive housing by targeting migrants belonging to the IT and manufacturing industry.

Reports suggest that Selaiyur property has seen a capital appreciation ofnearly 10% in the last one year alone. Rental values recorded a staggering 23% increment quarter on quarter. As of now, the property rates range from Rs. 4, 200 – 4, 400/- per sq ft and a 2BHK, 800 sq. ft. flat would cost an average of 32.31 lacs. The rental and price appreciation has been especially lucrative in the last year and has attracted many investments in real estate in Selaiyur.

Superb Connectivity and Social infrastructure

Selaiyur has a lush, green environment untouched by rampant urbanisation, besides a well-organised infrastructure set-up. All important banks such as SBI, HDFC and AXIS are located at Camp Road- an important junction here. There is an air force station in the vicinity and the neighbourhood is peaceful and comprises of a healthy mix of people hailing from the northern, western and southern states of India. This is perhaps the reason many retired air force families have chosen to make Selaiyur their home.

The area is well connected via the MTC, besides the Tambaram railway station and bus terminus are merely 5 kms away, the Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam is roughly about 3 kms from Selaiyur. However, the popular transportation mediums are the frequent buses and share-autos. One can travel easily to central landmarks such as GST Road, OMR road, Koyambedu, Anna Nagar and Ambattur.

There are many temples such as Abhirami udanurai Amirthakadeswarar temple, Arulmigu Adhi Kesava Perumal temple and the Om Sri Skandasramam temple. A host of renowned educational institutions such as Bharath University, Corley Higher Secondary School, Christ King Girls Higher Secondary School, Alwin Memorial Public School, Sri Sankara Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School and Zion Matriculation School are close by.

As per reports, there is rising FDI in the MNC industries along this stretch of the road. The real estate sector will see many NRI collaborations and the emergence of state-of-the-art, luxurious residential projects in Selaiyur. Besides, the prospective development plan for this locality predicts that Selaiyur will soon be within proposed Corporation of Tambaram, with proposed Palar water supply and drainage connection by Tambaram Municipality. The plans for a proposed new bus terminus at Tambaram and the upcoming 150 ft. perungalathur bypass road can only be termed as icings on the cake.

Paranoid or not, your home and family are among the first things you should secure against a host of adversaries. Today, it is not new to hear of thefts that have taken place using cutting edge technology and modern gadgets. In fact, there are examples of thieves using computers to hack into the mainframes of digitally enabled homes. In this kind of a scenario it is best to stay two steps ahead in ensuring absolute safety of your kith and kin.

You don’t need to be a tech-savvy person to understand the know-how’s of home surveillance and there are some things that you can try out for yourself. However, do engage the services of a professional security expert if you fall under the bracket of VVIP.

Chalk out what you need first

Before you begin purchasing expensive gadgetry or the famously hi-tech night vision cameras, you should begin to understand the level of security that you actually need. If you require a bare minimum of defence, the good old bare-fanged dog will do, however, if there are more family members or a tendency to store valuables in the house, it is advisable to add a few more layers of security.

A state-of-the-art home alarm system usually comprises of strategically installed window transmitters, CCTV cameras and motion sensors. Do remember that relying only on motion sensors will not be effective as the alarm will sound off after intruders have entered the premises. In many cases, there have been false alarms caused by motion sensors as the alarm sounds off each time a small animal passes by.

Do consider door and window transmitters that immediately sound off an alarm siren in case of a break-in. Webcams that have been installed near the entry-exit points of the house are also good locations for surveillance. However, the drawback with a plain-vanilla CCTV webcam system is that you may not be able to secure the house in case you’re away or if you spot a burglar in action. In this case, it is better to upgrade to a cell phone activated camera system. So, even if you’re thousands of miles away from home, the cellular-based alarm systems will signal for help over a secure cellular network. Additionally, it is also recommended to check out the latest doorbells that come equipped with a hidden camera.

Reports suggest that intruders rarely break in through the front door or windows at the front of a house, more so they will never leave through the same window or door again, so it makes sense to install cameras and sensors in the rear side rooms of the house as well. Do bear in mind that they are more likely to rummage through every room of the house, more so the master bedroom, so it is only logical to consider security measures comprehensively.

Nowadays, security systems come with an additional benefit of wireless smoke detectors. These can be considered if you reside in a house with multiple floor levels, considering that you may minimally need at least one smoke detector on each floor. Additionally, you may need to install one detector in each bedroom and each corridor area. The automatic alarm systems usually come equipped with a siren that sounds off in case of a fire and a pre-programmed system that notifies the fire department in case of an emergency.

To wire or not to wire

If you belong to the old school of thought that considered a concealed, solid wiring system as foolproof, here are a few reasons that may force you to rethink this adage. In the United States, roughly about 25 percent of burglars reported cutting telephone or alarm wires before they broke into a home. About 30 percent of all burglaries were committed through an open/ unlocked window or door and nearly 66 percent of all burglaries were residential (home) break-ins. What’s even scarier is that home intrusions are committed every 13 seconds.

Considering these factors, it is better to install a wireless system that does not require any wiring and complicated set-ups. An easier alternative is to set up a wireless security system that won’t be snapped off and won’t require you to drill holes in the walls. Besides, they come with easy manuals and videos that assist in setting up the system. You may not even require spending heavy installation fees or complicated programming set-ups.